Debra Fox

What a year it's been for cinema. And if the whirlwind of Jurassic World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spectre and (of course) The Force Awakens wasn't enough, 2016 is set to be just as magnificent.

Whether you're in the market for a family-friendly animation, an action-packed superhero saga or just a good old cry with some drama or romance, 2016's cinematic offerings have everything you could hope for.

Here are 17 of the most highly-anticipated films of the forthcoming year.

Joy: January 1: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper team up yet again in this high profile release.

Zoolander 2: February 12: Watch the hilarious return of Ben Stiller in one of the most highly-anticipated sequels of all time.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice: March 25: Ben Affleck will don his bat ears and form half of one of the biggest face-offs in comic book history.

The Jungle Book: April 15: A live action take on the 1967 family favourite.

Angry Birds: May 20: Based on the hit game popular with those young and old.

X-Men: Apocalypse: May 27: Get ready for the return of the younger generation, include James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence.

Finding Dory: June 17: Ellen DeGeneres makes her return as the loveable and forgetful Dory, swimming onto screens this summer.

Independence Day 2: July 1: In the running for sci-fi release of the year, along with Star Trek Beyond, which is released one week later.

Tarzan: July 1: Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) star as Tarzan and Jane in this new adaptation.

The BFG: July 22. Another one for the whole family - an adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic.

Suicide Squad: August 5: Cara Delevingne, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie and Will Smith are only part of an all-star cast standing together for Suicide Squad. Scared?

The Magnificent Seven: September 23: Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington will star in this release, directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Inferno: October 14: Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Robert Langdon in the latest chapter based on the Dan Brown books.

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them: November 18. A must-see for fans of Harry Potter - a spin-off of the beloved books and films starring Eddie Redmayne.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: December 16: The first film from the spin-off Star Wars anthology series, directed by Gareth Edwards.

Jon Nutton, Marketing Director of Empire Cinemas, which came up with the list of next year's big hitters, said: “After a magnificent line-up of films in 2015, 2016 looks set to be just as entertaining for our customers.

"Every month sees a stellar line-up of exciting titles and incredible acting talent and we look forward to hosting cinemagoers at the home of where all films should be experienced."

In the past year, Empire Cinemas screened 495 films. Other recommendations from the company for 2016 include January's The Danish Girl, starring Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne, Bridget Jones' Baby in September and The Girl on The Train, starring Emily Blunt, in October.